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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25833307">Strength</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieryflamess/pseuds/Fieryflamess'>Fieryflamess</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Julian's Route [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Arcana (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:33:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25833307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieryflamess/pseuds/Fieryflamess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's one thing after another with Julian. If he's not drunk, he's nearly getting himself caught by the Countess. Inexplicably, Ryuhiko finds himself enjoying Julian's company more than he should.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Apprentice/Julian Devorak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Julian's Route [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Salty Bitters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A loud knock from the front door interrupted Ryuhiko's usual morning ritual of not wanting to leave his bed, pulling him down the stairs of the shop half-dressed and groggy. He vaguely wondered who it could be. It was still early, and the shop had been closed for the past few days. Asra was nowhere to be seen but whatever. If he was gone, then he was gone. At least he didn't have to be that on guard with his words. The only downside would be having to change the bandages on his hand by himself.</p><p>"Ryuhiko, are you home? It's Portia; we really need to talk!" Portia called through the door.</p><p>An almost mournful sigh left him. Why was Portia here? Did something happen with Julian? Well, now he had to get dressed. He slipped on the rest of his clothes and grabbed the bandages from the counter, hesitantly opening the door and moving aside to let her in. He didn't bother fixing up his hair or putting in his earrings, so he probably looked like a wreck. It didn't help that he hadn't been able to sleep last night. After that encounter with that man, all the thoughts and doubts swirling in his mind had kept him up.</p><p>"There you are! Phew, glad I caught you before you left." Portia bounded in happily before looking at him. "Whoa, did you get run over by a carriage? You look awful."</p><p>"I wish." He muttered, sitting on the stool and looking at his bandaged hand. "Let's not acknowledge that I look like a train wreck."</p><p>Portia looked like she wanted to say something, clearly concerned, but held back. "Oh, is this what your shop looks like? Look at this place!" She peered down at a crystal ball, fingers hovering just over the glass before she pulled them quickly away. Then she moved to a shelf of herbs and started to examine them.</p><p>"Portia... You said we needed to talk? Lovely as it is to see you fascinated, I'm curious."</p><p>"Oh! Sorry, Ryuhiko. You're right." She looked at him. "Milady wanted me to check up on you. Um, see how you were doing in the investigation. You know. With Ily—" She cut herself off. "...Julian." Her smile faded like it was never there.</p><p>He studied her for a moment. "Do you want me to catch him?"</p><p>"Me? Why would that matter?"</p><p>"He's your brother. And if Nadia thinks he's guilty, she'll hang him. Are you really alright with that?"</p><p>"I—" She shook herself from her shock. "No. Are you?"</p><p>It didn't take much reflection to find his answer, despite everything that had happened with Julian. "No."</p><p>Tension faded from Portia's shoulders. She let out a breath and then smiled brightly at him. "Great! So we're partners then."</p><p>"Partners?"</p><p>"Well, we both want the same thing. You don't want my brother to die; I don't want my brother to die. Now we have to work on making sure my brother doesn't want my brother to die."</p><p>"He certainly seems to have a death wish..."</p><p>"We need to get him out of Vesuvia. As long as he's here, he's in danger."</p><p>"Will he let us help, though? That's the real question." Last night, Julian didn't seem interested in letting anyone else close. Ryuhiko had no reason to believe he'd changed his mind since.</p><p>“Sounds like you're talking from experience." Portia had an annoyed, knowing look on her face.</p><p>"I am. Last night..."</p><p>"Last night?"</p><p>"He pushed me away. He told me he needed to do this alone. The man couldn't even accept friendship."</p><p>"That sounds like Ilya, alright. Let me guess: he said it was to keep you safe?" She rolled her eyes. "He used to do that to me all the time when we were younger. He never let me handle anything."</p><p>"Is it because we're short?"</p><p>"It could be part of it...? He's always shouldering someone else's burdens while lamenting how heavy the load is." Then her expression changed a bit, hopeful. "I mean, it's nice to hear he's still my same brother. And now that I'm older, maybe I can finally help carry that weight."</p><p>He gave her a skeptical look. "You think he'll let you?"</p><p>"Ilya needs people he can rely on right now. He might need <em>you,</em> so let's go find him."</p><p>"Where do we find him? He's always come out of nowhere for me, so..."</p><p>"Hmmm... I think I might know where he is. Follow me."</p><p>"Uh... Let me finish getting ready first. Julian doesn't need to see me looking like this." He gestured to his face and hair, standing up.</p><p>"Right, go ahead."</p><p> </p><p>The tavern was quiet as they stepped inside. A few patrons milled about, talking in low murmurs. The burly bartender behind the counter nodded at the two, then went back to cleaning glasses. It wasn't busy, and Portia seemed so sure. Hopefully, Julian wouldn't be there so early in the day. Noticing Ryuhiko's concern, she turned to him with a smile.</p><p>"Trust me; I know my brother. He'd definitely hang at a place called The Rowdy Raven." She said.</p><p>"Oh, he does. I'm just worried about how early it is." Ryuhiko said.</p><p>They both looked around the room when a flash of auburn caught his eye in the far corner. Julian. He was slumped over his table, face obscured by mussed hair. The stein in his hand wasn't the only one near him either. Glasses littered the table. The bartender had their work cut out for them.</p><p>"Oh, boy," Portia said. "There he is. Listen, when he gets like this, what he really needs is a good boot to the ass. You want to deliver it, or should I?"</p><p>"I can do it." Ryuhiko cleared his throat, straightening up, and approached Julian's table with purpose. "Devorak."</p><p>Julian jumped a little, nearly dropping his stein. He lifted his head slowly, blinking blearily up at him. "Ryu— er, Hayashi! You uhhh— you're here. In the Raven. In front of me. What, uh. What are you doing here?"</p><p>"What are you doing here? It's the middle of the day!" Portia cut in.</p><p>"It's never too early for a glass of Salty Bitters. Bartholomew makes a grand one. Barth! Hey, Barth! Two more Bitters, would you?" He called to the bartender.</p><p>"Devorak, this is a great way to get yourself caught!" Ryuhiko said.</p><p>"Caught? Me caught?" He sighed. "Mmm. Good. I'd deserve it."  He threw his arms out dramatically, knocking a hand into a chair that wobbled precariously then stilled. "You must be relieved. Even if you weren't last night, well. Just look at me now, hmm? I'm all washed up. You'd better get out of here before I drag you both down too."</p><p>That wasn't going to happen. Ryuhiko wasn't about to let Julian sit there alone, drowning his sorrows until he got arrested. "No."</p><p>"I—er, what?"</p><p>"We aren't leaving. Looking at you now, I regret leaving you alone the first time."</p><p>Julian groaned, dropping his head down to the table, and pressed his cheek to the wood, eyes closing. His voice came out quiet and muffled, a reluctant admission. "I don't want either of you tangled up in this mess. I can't be the reason you get hurt."</p><p>"We get to decide that, Ilya, not you! Stop pushing us away." Portia said.</p><p>"It's my literal job to be part of this mess," Ryuhiko said. "Whether you like it or not."</p><p>"I... Well. You both came all this way. Why don't you pull up a seat? Take a load off. Have a Salty Bitters. They're disgusting. I've had five." Julian didn't look like he was planning to move any time soon, but they couldn't afford to stay there all day.</p><p>"Well... we have two options. We can either spend the day here, crying into our drinks—" He gave a pointed look to Julian, who interrupted.</p><p>"You should; they're delicious."</p><p>"You just said they were disgusting. ...Or we can find out the truth and discover what really happened."</p><p>"Or," Portia added, "a third option, we get Julian out of town now and figure the rest out later!"</p><p>"I can't just run away, Pasha. I tried it before, didn't turn out so well. It's time to face the music." Julian said.</p><p>"Fine, fine. So, if you <em>didn't</em> kill the Count, someone else must have, right?"</p><p>"Hm. I didn't actually think about that. Either I did, or there's another killer on the loose, which is bad. It's bad if there's a murderer out there who isn't me. Though let's, uh. Let's be clear here. All signs point to me."</p><p>"And we still don't know that, Ilya! Shouldn't we find out for sure?"</p><p>Julian paused. "I suppose we should. But I don't think I can do this on my own."</p><p>"And you don't have to. We'll figure it out together." Ryuhiko patted Julian's shoulder.</p><p>"So, if we can't get Julian out of the city yet, what's the next step?" Portia asked.</p><p>If they wanted to discover what happened that night, they were going to need a plan. Julian's life could depend on it. If only he could just remember.</p><p>Ryuhiko played with an earring as he thought. "We should start at the scene of the crime. It might help jog Julian's memory."</p><p>"It won't be a problem for us, but how will Ilya get into the palace undetected? If someone sees him, it's all over."</p><p>That was a problem, but what if they didn't see <em>him?</em> "There's a spell I can use. Something to disguise him."</p><p>"What, you mean I'd become another person? But who would I become?" Julian asked.</p><p>There was only one person Ryuhiko could think of that would make sense to be traveling with him and Portia. As much as he despised the thought himself, it was their best chance. But he didn't know how Julian would feel about it. Maybe it would be better not to tell him until he had already done it.</p><p>"I think I know. Let's go out into the alley; I'll change you there."</p><p>They headed out into the alley, the other two supporting Julian as he tried valiantly to keep his balance. They stopped in a secluded corner, well away from prying eyes. Ryuhiko had never done it before himself but had seen Asra do it dozens of times. Wait, had he? Whatever, it wasn't time to focus on that. He just needed to focus. He gathered some dirt from the ground, blowing it on Julian. It simmered in the air, then settled on his skin, rippling with magic. And then, suddenly, he was different.</p><p>"Ohh, who's that? He's handsome!" Portia looked Julian over.</p><p>"What, what? What do I look like?" Julian asked, glancing around. Then he scrambled to a puddle, dropping to his knees to peer at his reflection. "Oh, my God. I'm definitely too drunk for this."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Master of Disguise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julian dedicated the entire journey back to the palace to practicing his Asra impression. Whether he knew it or not, his pace was relentlessly quick. Portia and Ryuhiko were dripping sweat by the time they reached the bridge. It was probably the only reason Ryuhiko might hate tall people. If they walked fast, it was hard to keep up.</p><p>"How do you suppose he'd be feeling at this moment? Like a lamb entering the den of wolves. Or maybe a wolf entering the den of vipers? Hmm." Julian considered his options. "Vipers, he wouldn't mind; he and Faust would fit right in." Marble screeched under his heel as he stopped abruptly. His face—Asra's—turned to Ryuhiko, tight with pain. "Faust... That's the snake's name, isn't it?"</p><p>Ryuhiko nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's her name."</p><p>His brow pinched, and he rubbed at his temples in irritation. "I...I remember that snake; she nearly squeezed the life out of me once."</p><p>Julian turned away. He'd been acting like that ever since they left the bar. Keeping a careful distance maintained between them, but sending constant, searching glances Ryuhiko's way. As if he was the one who was so hard to understand. At least Julian had sobered up.</p><p>"So, it's safe to say he would be surprised. When he's surprised, is he more of a..." He changed his expression. "This? Or more like this?" He made a different face.</p><p>"More like that. Ugh, this is so uncomfortable."</p><p>"Hey, Ilya, I know this is gonna be a challenge, but... try not to talk too much, okay?" Portia said.</p><p>"Oh, no. Naturally not. Asra doesn't talk much." Julian said. "Believe me. It's hard to maintain such an aura of mystery once you open your mouth."</p><p>"Hmm. Maybe Asra was just quiet around you? You've got a real bad habit of doing the talking for everyone, Ilyushka."</p><p>"No, he's pretty tight-lipped about everything. Pretty damn annoying sometimes." Ryuhiko chimed in.</p><p>They reached the looming threshold. Portia took a deep breath and held it in her chest, setting her shoulders. And she thrust her arms against the doors, which parted and closed behind them with a sound like grinding stone.</p><p>"That's weird... where is everybody?" Portia looked around, confused. They seemed to be in luck. The hallway was unusually sparse, though Julian remained alert at Ryuhiko's side. "So, uh, where can I take you first, oh great magicians?"</p><p>"...The bedroom, of course." Julian said. "Bring us to the room where the dark deed was done."</p><p>Portia led them up a dim stairway, and to a dark hallway. The dogs weren't on their step, nowhere to be found. Creaks and groans echoed as they made their way to the end of the hall. Ryuhiko recalled his first and only experience there, that weird goat ghost, and the voice. Julian seemed just as unsettled as he did.</p><p>"Did you say that no one ever comes to these rooms anymore?" Julian asked.</p><p>"Nope. In all the years I've been here, nobody comes here if they don't have to. And when they do...? Let's say there are lots of stories floating around downstairs. People have heard things. Seen things."</p><p>"I kinda want to hear their stories. I wonder if it would match up..." Ryuhiko trailed off.</p><p>They reached the door as a ghostly moan floated through the rafters, making Julian bristle from head to toe. Portia tentatively turned the handle and found it already unlocked. Cautiously, she leaned on it. When a crash shook the room from inside, and the door swung open. The room was full of activity. Servants were scrubbing the surfaces, caked in many years' grime. Sweeping streaks of ash climbed the wall behind the canopy bed. Standing beside the bed, eyes wide, was the Countess. She looked from Portia to Ryuhiko to Julian with a flash of recognition.</p><p>"Portia, there you are. Hello, Ryuhiko. At last, we are tending to the ruin of this room." Nadia said. "There have been a number of curious accidents. Who is this?"</p><p>"I am the majulian—magician Asra, here to help my apprentice help you, Countess," Julian said, stumbling over a few words.</p><p>As Nadia stepped closer, Ryuhiko could feel a cold tremor run down Julian's spine.</p><p>"Asra... at last, we meet."</p><p>"Ah, yes, I'd have offered my help earlier, you see, but I was on a, uh, quest to open my third ear."</p><p>"No, no. I simply thought we might have met, but you are indeed a stranger to me. Or my eyes deceive me. It is terribly dim." She looked around the room. "Perhaps if that lamp was lit?"</p><p>They followed her elegant finger to a cobwebbed sconce high up on the dusty wall, too high to reach without magic. At the corner of Ryuhiko's eye, Julian's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. Distraction. They needed a distraction.</p><p>"Hey, look over there." Ryuhiko pointed somewhere other than the sconce.</p><p>"Over there? What am I looking for, exactly—? OH! Oh my." Her eyes were wide.</p><p>To Ryuhiko's surprise, there was indeed something worth looking at over where he'd pointed. The Count's portrait, just beneath the sconce, was giving off smoke. Its eyes appeared to be dripping red. Well, it was better than having Julian's cover blown, Ryuhiko supposed.</p><p>"That is, uh... that is a bad omen," Julian said.</p><p>"Indeed." Nadia agreed.</p><p>"Haha, um, don't worry, milady, I'll take care of it!" Portia snatched a ladder from nearby and rushed past them to take care of it, scrubbing at the eyes with a rag.</p><p>She didn't see the shape forming in the dustiest corner. Ryuhiko only noticed because he glanced over on a whim. It looked like white smoke, gathering into a vague, standing form. Ryuhiko's clutching fingers found Julian's arm. He didn't turn in time to see the flash of movement as the white shape darted across the room to ram the ladder.</p><p>"My heavens. Portia!" Nadia sounded distressed. Now knocked off balance, the ladder came crashing down, taking Portia with it. Portia landed the Countess's waiting arms.</p><p>"Ahem, so quick! That was a feat of amazing foresight, Countess. Almost as if you saw the future. You may have abilities. In uh, in magic." Julian scrambled to say.</p><p>Setting Portia gently on the ground, Nadia gave Julian a curious look. "I wonder. Perhaps when I am through here, I shall join you both investigating."</p><p>"In the library!" Portia jumped in. Investigating in the library."</p><p>"Ah, yes, a perfect place to start. I believe you keep the keys."</p><p>"I uh, yes, I...ahem. Follow me!" Portia's eyes glittered as she led them out of the room. Julian lost the fine control of his Asra facade, letting a grin slip by, too much like him to pass for anyone else.</p><p>When they reached the library, Ryuhiko's magic hung on to its last grasp while the locks returned to their place behind them. And then Julian's glamour dropped like sheer fabric slipping from his head to his toes. A sigh of relief escaped Ryuhiko at the sight of it. Finally, it was over. He didn't have to look at Asra and be twice as uncomfortable. Now he just had to deal with being awkward around Julian.</p><p>"Well, that could have gone worse," Julian said after a moment. "I may not know magic, but there's definitely something going on here. Something beyond my knowledge."</p><p>Ryuhiko bit back a sarcastic comment. "Mhm."</p><p>"Luckily for us, we're at the library. Let's see what we can learn."</p><p>They slipped through the stacks, Julian's eye scanning quickly, roaming over the titles as his fingers fluttered on the spines. Ryuhiko followed, his curiosity piqued at the path Julian took. He was going to lead him to his desk, but it seemed he'd find his way there on his own. Along the way, Julian plucked about a dozen books from the shelves.</p><p>"All these books and I kept going back to the same old... just around that corner. I had a desk." Julian said, looking around. "It's coming back to me... it's close, at the back of my mind. I can just taste it." When his gaze finally fell on Ryuhiko again, he must have looked unimpressed. He cast a bashful gaze to the ground. "You're mad at me?"</p><p>Ryuhiko took a deep breath. "I'm not mad at you."</p><p>He sighed, looking past him. "You're not, huh. You know, Haya—"</p><p>"Ryuhiko." He interrupted, playing with his earring. "You can call me Ryuhiko again."</p><p>"You know, Ryuhiko, they do say there's such a thing as being too forgiving."</p><p>"You'd rather I punish you, I know. But I don't want to. I can see that you've been punishing yourself enough."</p><p>Julian seemed speechless, his eye widening and his breath catching. He shuffled quickly past him, toward the desk. It was cluttered and unassuming, very much like Ryuhiko had left it but not exactly. Someone had touched it.</p><p>"There it is. That's my desk." Julian seemed to forget the apprentice as he started tearing through the desk in pursuit of something.</p><p>The papers he tossed haphazardly aside were meticulous drawings and logs. While he muttered to himself, Ryuhiko plucked one from the air, studying the intricate image. A beetle. That was strange. He became so engrossed in the drawing that it took him a moment to notice when Julian went still. A tremble ran through his arm, and in his hand was an oily metal key with a red stone in the eye.</p><p>"Ah-<em>ha!</em> This is it. This key is what was calling to me." Julian eyed the key for a second. "Don't ask me how I know, but I <em>know</em>. It's not any of these old scrawlings. It's this!" He tossed the key in the air, snatching it on the way down and pocketing it with a scheming gleam in his eye. Ryuhiko was only half surprised when Julian grasped him by the shoulders and pinned him with an adoring grin. "I'm one step closer. If it weren't for you, dear Ryuhiko, I'd still be two behind."</p><p>"Uh, can you let—"</p><p>Julian swept him victoriously into his arms, stopping when their noses were an inch apart. And they heard a cacophonous screech from the window. That, paired with Ryuhiko's expression, made Julian yank him down. Ryuhiko was rushed to the nearest corner, pinned by quivering arms, watching Julian's throat bob as he watched the window. Julian took a slow, deep breath, and flushed when his chest just barely touched Ryuhiko's face.</p><p>"Just a bird. Sorry..." His gaze trailed down, observing all the places they touched. Biting his lip, he groaned at the back of his throat. "About everything. I'm sorry." He let his head drop, looking askance as if he couldn't bear to face Ryuhiko.</p><p>"Umm... Julian..."</p><p>"I don't know what I was thinking, rejecting you like I did. Temporary madness, I guess. It goes without saying that I find you very, very attractive. Whether I'm destined to hang or not. And by some miracle, you see something attractive in me, too."</p><p>"Julian."</p><p>"But to what end? I pace, I drink, I tear my hair out. And still, I don't know what to do. Ryuhiko, what do you want me to do?" Julian finally looked at him properly, fiery passion gleaming in his single, red-rimmed eye.</p><p>"Be quiet. We're in a library."</p><p>"That we are." He blushed.</p><p>"And for fuck's sake, let go of me already."</p><p>Julian disentangled from Ryuhiko and quickly pocketed the key he found in the desk. Ryuhiko slid to the ground, hand over his chest as he tried to breathe and calm down. He'd come too close to having a panic attack. It was still a high possibility. He just had to keep in mind that Julian hadn't done it on purpose. It was an accident; he didn't know.</p><p>"This key is coming with me. The key to everything, maybe. Now all I have to do is find whatever it opens." He fell silent, gaze flicking toward the door. Someone was speaking on the other side.</p><p>Ryuhiko pulled himself to his feet, taking another deep breath. Portia and Nadia were out there.</p><p>"AH! Milady! Finished up so soon?! That's a surprise!" Portia was practically shouting. Nadia's low tone replied. Indecipherable, but her voice was enough to snap Julian to attention.</p><p>In a flash, Julian took Ryuhiko's wrists and rushed him into the shadows.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Halcyon Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ryuhiko— we need to leave. Now."</p><p>A lock in the door clicked open, somehow echoing in the quiet library. There were ten still left. Portia and Nadia were talking in the hallway.</p><p>"Oops, dropped the keyring again! I'm so sorry, Milady, my fingers are so slippery today!" Portia was saying.</p><p>"...It's quite alright, Portia. Perhaps I should try, on account of your slippery fingers." Nadia answered.</p><p>"What? Milady, I can't have <em>you</em> opening doors for <em>me!</em> I promise it'll only be a minute!"</p><p>Julian turned to Ryuhiko, face pale, and spoke in a hushed tone. "I won't have you caught in my mess, Ryuhiko. When that door opens you run, you hide, you get out of here. She'll be too busy arresting me to notice you."</p><p>Ryuhiko glanced around the room. There weren't many places to hide. Where would he run anyway? Would he jump out the window? He shook his head vehemently, heart beating a violent rhythm in his chest. If he wasn't going to have a panic attack earlier, he definitely was then.</p><p>"You need to go! Use some hocus pocus, make a hasty getaway, something! Whatever you have to do, Ryuhiko. You have to stay safe."</p><p>"I'm not giving up! I won't leave you to face this alone!"</p><p>"Damn it, Ryuhiko, this time you'll have to! There's not enough room in this library for two self-sacrificing fools!"</p><p>"I don't know about you, but I see plenty of space!" Ryuhiko gestured wildly around the room. "You're just facing the wrong way!"</p><p>"I'd laugh if this wasn't so serious. Ryuhiko, let me do this for you. If they catch you, you could hang alongside me." The ninth lock clicked, and then the eighth right after. "Go, Ryuhiko." He gripped said man's arms tight, his hands shaking, but the look in his eye was unwavering. He really intended to sacrifice himself for Ryuhiko.</p><p>"God damn, Julian. You look at me like that, and you wonder why I'm falling for you??" He covered his mouth, cheeks burning. "I mean—" He took his hand away. "We haven't discovered anything yet! Are you really willing to die without answers?"</p><p>"I've been ready to die since I came to Vesuvia. A few unanswered questions won't make me turn in my coffin."</p><p>Ryuhiko shook his head, planting his feet firmly where they were. He wouldn't let Julian do this. "I won't leave you." Another lock, another click. There were only a few left, and time was running thin.</p><p>"You're really not going to leave me." Julian stared at Ryuhiko like he was an alien thing, a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. "Fine. Then let's get the hell out of here." His gaze shot to the window and the tree far down below. "You, er. You can't fly, can you? Turn into some giant bird, maybe?"</p><p>"No, I can't turn into a giant bird!" At least, he didn't think he could. But he could try something else.</p><p>Ryuhiko cast his magic out frantically, searching for something, anything. An answer. A bit of magic he'd sensed that night with Portia. It came in the form of a whisper. He could feel it on the edge of his magic, hidden and waiting for them to discover it. He grabbed Julian's hand, tugging him over behind a bookshelf. Two marble pillars framed a wall covered in ivy. Behind it, when he brushed the plants aside, a small carving. A symbol he knew well. It was Faust, and just beneath the surface of the wall, he could feel Asra's magic pulsing.</p><p>There was a portal there, something to take them away. Ryuhiko just needed time to unlock it. The final lock clicked, and the door swung slowly open. Time had run out. The shelf hid them for now, but they wouldn't stay that way for long. They needed to leave. Julian stiffened, as if ready to walk out and surrender. He took a breath, about to make a move, and—</p><p>"Countess. Were you looking for me?" Asra's voice came. Ryuhiko could see them through the gaps in the books, and a jolt of shock ran through him. The real Asra. But how had he known?</p><p>"Ah, Asra. Not in the library, after all? Where's Ryuhiko?" Nadia asked.</p><p>"I sent him off to pick up an ingredient from the shop."</p><p>"What a pity; he could have joined us for dinner. <em>You</em> will join me, will you not?"</p><p>"I'd be delighted, Countess."</p><p>Nadia turned to leave, Portia at her heels, but Asra paused, head tilted just slightly toward the two hidden men. His and Ryuhiko's eyes met from across the room. Julian tensed like he was ready to run out and confront him. Then Asra turned abruptly and followed Nadia down the hall, things unspoken still hanging heavy in the air. Behind them, the magical portal suddenly activated, making the stone wall ripple like water in a pond. Without waiting for Julian to speak, Ryuhiko pulled him through and out into freedom.</p><p>The sun was low on the horizon as they stumbled out of the portal and into the garden. In front of them was the fountain and swaying willow tree whose vines trailed in the gently babbling water. They were out of the palace but not the grounds. Julian wasn't safe yet. He thought of the way he'd gone the night on the aqueduct, the golden fields.</p><p>"Come on. I know a way out." Ryuhiko let go of his hand and started walking.</p><p>They walked side by side, hands brushing against each other every so often, but Julian was quiet. That was fine. Ryuhiko's head was aching from the stress, and he felt awful. After a little while walking, they heard some footsteps in the leaves ahead. They both tensed, ready to run, but Ryuhiko was quick to relax.</p><p>"There you are! Whew. I wasn't sure I'd find you." Portia came into view.</p><p>"Pasha! You're alright!" Julian grinned.</p><p>"Why wouldn't I be? We're not all fugitives on the run from the law, Ilya." She looked at Ryuhiko. "Your handsome magician friend, Asra, came and helped me out, Ryuhiko! Oh boy, it was a shock when he arrived! I didn't know what I was going to do, and then poof! There he was. You magic types are amazing. How did he know how to find us?"</p><p>"Oh my god. Julian, you're going to hate me for this..." Ryuhiko said, digging his fingers into the palm of his bad hand.</p><p>"Why would I hate you??" Julian asked, confused.</p><p>"I can teleport. And I completely forgot in the haze of panic. God, I'm an idiot. We weren't even in danger. I could've just snapped my fingers, and we would've been free..."</p><p>"No, no, no. It's fine. We got out because of your quick thinking. Hindsight, my dear." He cupped Ryuhiko's cheek, who quickly stepped out of his reach with a pained look.</p><p>"Sorry." He muttered, trying to regain his composure. "I don't even know where I'd bring you anyway." He looked to Portia. "My magic's as shot as my nerves right now."</p><p>"It's not safe to keep moving, not until the guards change shifts later tonight," Portia said after a second. "Come on. I'll take you to my cottage. Guards don't usually come around there." She led them deeper into the garden.</p><p>Fireflies flew softly in the garden, echoing the twinkling stars in the sky above as Ryuhiko and Julian settled on a log bench. They were safe there. Inside, Ryuhiko could hear the bustle of Portia in her kitchen, glasses clunking, and metal scraping against pans. Julian sat right next to him, their arms brushing against each other every so often. He frowned, tilted his head up to watch a firefly float lazily past, and let out a low sigh.</p><p>"I, uh. I didn't expect to see Asra again. He saved our hides in there." Julian said. "We, uh. We have a history, he and I."</p><p>"He said as much..."</p><p>"Looking back, I think I made a lot of assumptions about him. And about us. Maybe if I hadn't? But I'm not, ah, I'm not holding onto it, you know. I think it's better for both of us if I move on." He sighed again. "...I think I might have been pretty selfish with him. At least, from what I remember."</p><p>"Are you still the same person you were back then?"</p><p>"God, I hope not. The jury's still out, though."</p><p>Portia came out. "Aaand, done! Eat up, quick. We gotta get you out of here soon." She set a plate of steaming food in front of each of them before dropping down to sit. Pepi followed close on her heels, swishing around her legs before approaching the other two to sniff curiously.</p><p>Julian looked stricken for a split second as if realizing for the first time he was at Portia's home. "Look at everything you've accomplished without me... Oh, is this one of our grandmas' secret recipes? I haven't had this in a long time. Tastes just the same, Pasha. Though it's a little undersalted, isn't it?"</p><p>"You've got enough salt for all of us!" Portia retorted.</p><p>Julian laughed and ducked a cuff aimed at his head, reaching out to wrap an arm around Portia's shoulders. "Do I? Should I share some, then?"</p><p>"Careful, or you'll scare Ryuhiko off." She gave Ryuhiko a bright smile and then turned back to her food, looking radiantly happy in the moonlight.</p><p>Conversation flowed easy and free. It was almost enough to make Ryuhiko forget everything that'd happened. That, right there. With Julian and Portia? It felt right. And so wrong at the same time. Julian went quiet after a long moment, staring down into his hands and the empty plate. Pepi climbed into his lap, purring loudly, and curled up into a little ball, blinking slowly up at him.</p><p>"I... you have a good life here, Pasha," Julian said. He shook his head, trying to clear the thought from his face, but succeeded only in ruffling his hair. "If things weren't the way they are or if I was a free man. A better man. Could I have this? It's foolish to think about it. Just another pipe dream."</p><p>"You can have this, Julian," Ryuhiko said.</p><p>"Can I? Even if we clear my name, even if we spend every night together..." He sighed. "Something will ruin this feeling. Maybe I'll sabotage it myself without meaning to."</p><p>He studied him. "I know it's hard to let yourself be happy, but can't you try? Just a little."</p><p>"We're in this together, Ilya," Portia said. "If you start ruining things... one of us will stop you until you learn how to stop yourself. I believe in you. You've made it this far, haven't you?"</p><p>"Yes, and made a mess of things along the way," Julian replied. "Maybe I, uh. Maybe my mistake was trying to do everything alone. I thought if I kept you two out of it, I could keep you safe. But you just barreled on ahead and involved yourself anyway. I think. I think I need your help."</p><p>"We'll figure this out, so long as we're all together. If you don't want to leave, Ilya, if you want answers, we'll help you get them. As long as you don't push us away."</p><p>"You're right. I, uh. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize."</p><p>"Oh, I'm not surprised. You've always been dense." Portia winked. "But you got it eventually." She yawned loudly and then looked a little sheepish about it. "Oops. Looks like I better head to bed. I have to wake up at dawn to work. Ryuhiko, will you be fine escorting him out of the gardens alone?"</p><p>Ryuhiko nodded. He knew the gardens well by now and could find their way home.</p><p>"Thank you, Ryuhiko. For being on his side." With a final smile, she headed back into the cottage. Pepi lifted her head to watch, then settled back down in Julian's lap.</p><p>Julian looked at him, then at the untouched plate. "You didn't eat?"</p><p>"Not hungry."</p><p>"You should eat."</p><p>"Don't talk to me about healthy habits, Julian "I-don't-sleep-until-I'm-forced-to" Devorak."</p><p>"You got me there." He paused. "Did you mean what you said in the library?"</p><p>"About...? Oh." Ryuhiko looked at his hands. "Look, I don't want to talk about it until I get all of my feelings sorted out." He bit his lip. "I feel like an awful person. Do I deserve a second chance like this?"</p><p>"Did we just switch lines? Shouldn't I be saying that, my dear?"</p><p>"No... No, I'm sorry. I was too in my head for a second. We should get going."</p><p>"...You know, we could stand to stay a little longer, in the garden. If you wanted to, with me. I know it's selfish, but when I'm around you, I, uh. Sometimes, I want to be selfish. Is that alright? Am I allowed to be?"</p><p>"You are allowed to be, but we really should get going. Before our luck runs out with the guards."</p><p>Julian nodded but made no move to get up. In fact, he was staring down at Ryuhiko like he wanted nothing more than to stay there with him forever. "Ryuhiko... What you did for me today, I won't forget it. I'm not, uh, not used to accepting help. Actually, I'm pretty bad at it."</p><p>"I've noticed."</p><p>"Have you? I, uh. About last night. It's getting harder and harder to keep pushing you away. Last night, that was my last-ditch effort. But it didn't work. Huh. So..."</p><p>He shifted towards Ryuhiko like he craved the closeness, but wasn't sure he was allowed it. They were just barely not touching now. He leaned forward, a little more, the distance between them closing slowly.</p><p>"So I'm changing tactics. If pushing you away didn't work, then I'll stop pushing."</p><p>Their lips brushed together once, twice. Next, Julian was cupping Ryuhiko's cheek and pressing forward like a man starved. Ryuhiko hesitated before kissing back harder, tangling a hand in Julian's hair. Then, just as it quickly as it'd begun, it was over. Julian looked at the hand on his chest, pushing him away, and back up at Ryuhiko disappointedly.</p><p>"I do recall putting you in the friendzone," Ryuhiko said.</p><p>"So, all I had to do was pull to get you to run?"</p><p>"You should've realized sooner. Now it's a little too late for yourself."</p><p>"But not for you?"</p><p>"I never said that. I just have to work out this feeling. Um, anyway."</p><p>"You know... We, uh. We aren't out of the woods yet. Not even close. That key I found in the library. I don't know what it means or what we'll find. But I think if you're there with me, I can face it. Whatever happens." Julian got slowly to his feet and then offered his hand to Ryuhiko. </p><p>Ryuhiko took it, gripping firmly, and followed him off into the night. Was he allowed this second chance? With Julian? With anyone?</p><p>...</p><p>"Oh, Ryuhiko. How upset Tsukihiko will be." A portal opened up. "Hm. Time is wearing thin. Time to speed things up."</p>
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